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Synthetic Motor Oil Gets All New Semantics
(first
published in Nov., 2000 issue of Car and Driver by Patrick Bedard)
Now that the meaning if "is" has gotten so slippery you need to
grab it with both hands, we'd better keep an eye on longer words,
too.
One's already got so squirmy on us- "synthetic," as in synthetic
motor oil.
Most guys know two things about synthetic oils. First, the price
is three to four times that of conventional oils. Second, they're
not real oil, not made from crude.
News flash: Scratch that second part. Now motor oils derived from
crude may be labeled "synthetic." But they still cost over four
bucks a quart.
Bait and switch? That's the obvious conclusion. Except in this case
the advertising ethics people have given their approval.
Here's what happened, according to a detailed account published
in the trade magazine Lubricants World. Late in 1997, Castrol changed
the formula of its Syntec "full synthetic motor oil", eliminating
the polyalphaolefin (PAO) base stock (that's the "synthetic" part,
which makes up about 70% by volume of what's in the bottle) and
replacing it with a "hydroisomerized" petroleum base stock.
Mobil Oil Corporation, maker of Mobil 1, "Worlds Leading Synthetic
Motor Oil," said no fair and took its complaint to the National
Advertising Division (NAD) of the Council of Better Business Bureaus.
NAD often arbitrates between feuding advertisers on their conflicting
claims.
The notion behind synthetic motor oils as we've known them is an
elegant one. Instead of relying on the cocktail of hydrocarbons
contained in crude oil, why not go into the laboratory and build
the perfect base stock from scratch, molecule by molecule, and builds
it till it gets 10-carbon molecules, then combines three of those
to form PAO. The result is a fluid more stable than the usual base
oils derived from crude. It keeps flowing at low temperatures. It's
more resistant to boiling off, and more resistant to oxidation,
which causes thickening with prolonged exposure to high temperatures.
Still, there's more than one road to the point B of improved stability.
Petroleum refiners in recent years have learned how to break apart
certain undesirable molecules - wax, for example, which causes thickening
of oil at low temperatures- and transform them by chemical reaction
into helpful molecules. These new hydroisomerized base oils, in
the view of some industry participants provided properties similar
to PAO's but only cost half as much," Lubricants World reported.
The argument before NAD tiptoed around the obvious- does the consumer
get four bucks' worth of value from each quart of synthetic oil?-
and plunged straight into deep semantics. Mobil's experts said "synthetic"
traditionally meant big molecules built up from small ones. Castrol's
side held out for a looser description, defining "synthetic" as
"the product of an intended chemical reaction."
What do unbiased sources say? It turns out that the Society of Automotive
Engineers (SAE) and the American Petroleum Institute (API) both
have technical standards covering motor oils, and both of these
organizations in the '90's backed away from their old definitions
of "synthetic," leaving lots of room for new interpretations.
In the end, NAD decided that the evidence constitutes a reasonable
basis for the claim that Castrol Syntec, as currently formulated,
is a synthetic motor oil, said Lubricants World.
The obvious question now: Has the term "synthetic motor oil" been
opened up to the point that it no longer means anything? Maybe.
But here's a better question: Did synthetic ever mean what we thought
it meant?
"Great oil" is what most guys think it means. "At that price, it's
gotta be great stuff!"
Okay, but how great? Your cars manual tells what motor oil you should
use, and with few exceptions, that description will consist of only
two specifications. One is for viscosity, such as 10W-30; and the
other is for the API service grade, SJ being the current one for
gasoline passenger cars.
The buck-a-quart multi-grades meet these standards, as do the synthetics.
The synthetics, on the back label, claim compliance with more standards,
but even if you know what they mean, they seem beside the point
for U.S. passenger cars. For example, should you care about diesels
if you drive a gasoline burner? API service CF is the oldest of
the current specs for light-duty diesels; some synthetics list that
one. Synthetics may also list ACEA A1 and B1, which are European
specs roughly equivelant to API gasoline and diesel specs. The Europeans
grad their oils by level of performance, so that A2 and A3 are tougher
specs than A1. Same for diesels. Usually the date of the spec is
omitted, but A1-98 is newer than A1-96.
Completely absent is the one performance claim that would have some
real meaning for all of us- some indication of longer oil life.
(except for AMSOIL which clearly states 25,000 miles/1-year or
35,000 miles/1-year for their Severe Service 0W-30 synthetic).
Automakers hold synthetics to the same oil change intervals as conventional
oils. And the oil companies, promise even less. "To give added protection
and life to your engine, change your oil every 3000 miles." This
same language appears on the back of both Penzoil Synthetic and
conventional oils. Valvoline synthetic makes a similar recommendation.
(commentary: Since 1972 AMSOIL is the ONLY synthetic oil manufacturer
in the world to guarantee 25,000 miles or 35,000 mile oil change
intervals and utilizing full PAO synthetic technology exclusively).
Synthetics do get one unambiguous endorsement: Corvettes, Porsches,
Vipers, and all AMG models from Mercedes-Benz come with Mobil 1
as the factory fill.
Most synthetics mention GM 4718M in their list of claims; that's
the unique spec created by General Motors for Corvette oil. It's
a high-temperature requirement that tolerates less oxidation (thickening)
and volatility (boil-off) on a standard engine test called Sequence
111E according to engineer Bob Olree of GM Powertrain. (note: AMSOIL
0W-30 far surpasses GM's 4718M spec).
But don't expect to learn such details on any label (again, except
for AMSOIL which clearly states test results on the back of every
bottle of Series 2000 0W-30 and 20W-50 synthetic). Mobil 1 at least
uses straight forward declarative sentences. Most of the others
read as though they were written by a lawyer looking for an escape
clause. Why else would the following claim be so rubbery? "Penzoil
Synthetic motor oil is recommended for use in all engines requiring
ILSACGF-1, GF-2, API SJ, SH, or SG, and in engines requiring oils
meeting GM 4718M." Okay, but does it actually pass those standards?
"Yes" says James Newsom, Penzoil's motor-oil product manager.
Castrol Syntec, on its label, "exceeds" every standard it mentions.
Hmm. Now that the meaning of "is" is in play, I have to wonder,
does Syntec meet those standards as well?
"It does" says Castrol's Julie Ann Oberg. While I have her on the
phone, I ask if there will be a Syntec price reduction now that
the lower-cost base stock has been substituted for the old synthetic.
She says no.
End of article.
Now, after reading that why would anybody in their right mind want
to spend their hard-earned money on Castrol Syntec, Penzoil Synthetic,
Valvoline Synthetic or any of the other "synthetics" when what your
getting is not even a true 100% full PAO synthetic? Even Mobil 1
Tri-Synthetic uses multiple base-stock technology by blending other
synthetic molecules with the PAO base-stocks and then they come
up with a catchy name of Tri-Synthetic. Pretty sneaky huh? AMSOIL
moved away from multiple base-stock technology over 20 years ago!,
yet Mobil makes it sound like their Tri-Synthetic technology is
some new earth-shattering technology. What a joke!
Why not skip all the hype and deception of these other manufacturers
and just use AMSOIL? AMSOIL uses only 100% full synthetic PAO
technology in each and everyone of its motor oils and is the
undisputed leader in synthetic engine oil technology as well as
the leader in synthetic gear lubes, transmission fluid, greases,
two-cycle oil and many other lubricants and hydraulic fluids. Today,
virtually every other motor oil manufacturer has recognized the
superiority of synthetic lubricants and has followed the AMSOIL
lead with introductions of "synthetic" motor oils of their own.
They spend millions of dollars advertising their "new" and "revolutionary"
products. No one, however, can match AMSOIL experience and technological
know-how. And no one delivers products like AMSOIL. Accept no substitutes-
AMSOIL is the "First in Synthetics."
AMSOIL
is the undisputed leader in synthetics.............
Since 1972, AMSOIL Synthetics have proven to be the
BEST. AMSOIL also engineers and manufactures Super Duty Oil filters which have a
12,500 mile service life as well as specialized filtration systems for
commercial and fleet applications in cars and light, medium and heavy trucks
which can filter particles down to less than one micron ( a standard full flow
oil filter can only filter to 20-25 microns with any degree of efficiency) making oil changes virtually unnecessary and virtually eliminating engine wear.
These filters have been proven by millions of miles of over-the road trucks,
construction equipment and fleet service.
-
AMSOIL saves you time and money.
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The only 25,000 mile/one- year and 35,000/one-
year motor oil in the world.
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specifications of all major U.S. and foreign automotive and truck
manufacturers.
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Provides up to two-times the wear protection of
other motor oils.
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Improves performance, fuel economy and
efficiency.
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Diesel oil and filtration products designed to
deliver 1,000,000 miles for over-the-road trucks before engine overhaul.
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Used by many national racing teams, fleets,
police departments, construction firms and trucking companies.
Oilsnmore.com is comprised of a group of highly skilled team of Engineers and Lubrication and
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